About: River Stour, Suffolk About: River Stour, Suffolk An Entity of Type : natural place , from Named Graph : , within Data Space : dbpedia.org The River Stour (/ˈstʊər/ STOOR or /ˈstaʊr/ STOWR) is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 47 miles (76 km) long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Bures, Sudbury, Nayland, Stratford St Mary, Dedham and flows through the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It becomes tidal just before Manningtree in Essex and joins the North Sea at Harwich. Property abstract The River Stour (/ˈstʊər/ STOOR or /ˈstaʊr/ STOWR) is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 47 miles (76 km) long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south.

It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Bures, Sudbury, Nayland, Stratford St Mary, Dedham and flows through the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It becomes tidal just before Manningtree in Essex and joins the North Sea at Harwich. (en) Der River Stour ist ein Küstenfluss in East Anglia mit einer Länge von 76 km (47 Meilen). Er liegt in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk und Essex im Südosten Englands und bildet in seinem Verlauf zu einem großen Teil die Grenze zwischen den Grafschaften Suffolk im Norden und Essex im Süden. Er entspringt im Osten von Cambridgeshire und mündet bei Harwich in die Nordsee. (de) De Stour is een rivier in het oosten van Engeland. De Stour ontspringt in de heuvels van Cambridgeshire en stroomt in oostelijke richting naar Harwich, waar hij uitmondt in de Noordzee. De rivier vormt een natuurlijke grens tussen de graafschappen Essex en Suffolk.

Het golvende landschap langs de Stour werd in de 19e eeuw vastgelegd door de schilder John Constable en is verklaard tot Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. (nl) comment The River Stour (/ˈstʊər/ STOOR or /ˈstaʊr/ STOWR) is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 47 miles (76 km) long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Bures, Sudbury, Nayland, Stratford St Mary, Dedham and flows through the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It becomes tidal just before Manningtree in Essex and joins the North Sea at Harwich. (en) Der River Stour ist ein Küstenfluss in East Anglia mit einer Länge von 76 km (47 Meilen).

Er liegt in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk und Essex im Südosten Englands und bildet in seinem Verlauf zu einem großen Teil die Grenze zwischen den Grafschaften Suffolk im Norden und Essex im Süden. Er entspringt im Osten von Cambridgeshire und mündet bei Harwich in die Nordsee. (de) De Stour is een rivier in het oosten van Engeland.De Stour ontspringt in de heuvels van Cambridgeshire en stroomt in oostelijke richting naar Harwich, waar hij uitmondt in de Noordzee. De rivier vormt een natuurlijke grens tussen de graafschappen Essex en Suffolk.Het golvende landschap langs de Stour werd in de 19e eeuw vastgelegd door de schilder John Constable en is verklaard tot Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. (nl) River Stour and Bures The River Stour is one of the major rivers in Suffolk, which flows through the centre of the village. It forms the county boundary between Essex to the south and Suffolk to the north.

The River Stour was made navigable as a commercial waterway in 1705 from Sudbury to the sea, unfortunately nearly all of the locks have disappeared. The river is eminently suitable for exploring by light craft. For practically the whole way the river runs through a wide valley with pleasant views. There are no large towns along the course. The Environment Agency have published bye-laws that prohibit the use of powered boats anywhere except on the stretch from Sudbury to Henny. These in turn are restricted to steam or electric power. View along the River stour from the road bridge in the centre of village The river rises in Cambridgeshire, North East of Haverhill at Wratting and follows a fifty mile course through Wixoe, Clare, Sudbury, Flatford and Dedham before it finally reaches the sea at Harwich. At Brantham (Cattawade Bridge) the river becomes tidal. For most of its journey it forms the Suffolk & Essex county boundary. Since 1971, the Ely - Ouse to Essex transfer scheme has been used to augment the Rivers Stour and Blackwater by up to 340 Million gallons of water per day.

A vast amount of this water is then pumped to the reservoirs at Abberton and Hanningfield to supply South Essex and London. Winter rain is stored in these two large reservoirs, which are drawn down in the summer months, when river flows are low. Numerous pumping stations and bore holes along the river also extract water for local use. New Transfer Scheme coming into operation 2014 - Link River winds through Sudbury showing flood plain - Local flooding in wet weather. There is a large flood plain between Sudbury - Henny and Bures with a further plain to the south either side of Bures Mill. The fields in these areas regularly flood in wet weather. At Henny opposite the Swan PH in "Sharpfight Meadow" on the Suffolk side of the river, Boudicea caught up and slaughtered a entire Roman Legion. The Stour has been famous for at least two reasons:- (a) It was one of the first English rivers to be made navigable to barge traffic. (b) Immortalised by the paintings of John Constable. He visited Bures regularly to see his grandfather, who lived in the village.

The river divides the village into two distinct halves, Bures Hamlet in Essex and Bures St Mary in Suffolk. Downstream half a mile towards Nayland lies Bures Mill, no longer in commercial use but converted to a residential property. Further along lies Bures Lake which is popular with fishing enthusiasts. This was formed many years ago, when sand was extracted for the construction of the Ipswich Power Station (now demolished). The future of the River Stour. In March 2002 a lengthy feasibility study was put out for public consultation for the future management of the river. A number of possible actions were canvassed. (a) Minimum Action - to keep the river basically as it is today. Cost £35,000 (b) Light Craft Improvement - as above but with the addition of light craft. Cost £213,000 (c) Partial Restoration - Providing navigation with new, existing and restored locks. Cost £2,997.000 (d) Full restoration - Provide navigation the whole lenght for craft no larger than those who originally used it.

Cost £9,359,000 (e) Restoration to the sea - as in (d) but with a new lock at Cattawade. Cost £12,624,000. On the 15th February 2003 the Environment Agency opted to support (b) with a further study into the use of steam and electric powered craft Today the river is only navigable from Bures towards Sudbury, its route south, being blocked by a sluice at Bures Mill. Steam Power at Bures Millennium Bridge Raft Race, Bures Carnival Learn and talk about River Stour, Suffolk, Rivers of Cambridgeshire, Rivers of Essex, Rivers of Suffolk Etymology and usage[ edit ] The name is of ambiguous and disputed origin. On one theory, the name Stour derives from the Celtic sturr meaning "strong". [3] However, the river-name Stour, common in England, does not occur at all in Wales; [4] Crawford noted two tributaries of the Po River near Turin , spelled Stura. In Germany the Stoer is a tributary of the River Elbe .

According to Brewer's Britain and Ireland the Stour is pronounced differently in different cases: the Kentish and East Anglian Stours rhyme with tour; the Oxfordshire Stour is sometimes rhymes with mower, sometimes with hour, and the Worcestershire Stour always rhymes with hour. [5] Locally, the River Stour dividing Essex from Suffolk does not have a uniform pronunciation, varying from stowr to stoor. [6] As against that, stour is a Middle English word with two distinct meanings and derivations, still current enough to appear in most substantial dictionaries. As an adjective, with Germanic roots, it signifies "large, powerful" (in present-day Scandinavian languages stor means "big, great"). As a noun, from medieval French roots, it signifies "tumult, commotion; confusion" or an "armed battle or conflict". Wiktionary also adds "blowing or deposit of dust", the primary definition in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, which adds that this is a northern English and Scottish usage of uncertain derivation.

[7] In 2006 it has been suggested that an Old European river-name was taken for an Old English adjective and that stour came to represent one pole of a structural opposition, with blyth at the opposite pole, allowing Anglo-Saxons to classify rivers on a continuum of fierceness. [8] The Victorian etymologist Isaac Taylor , now long discredited on many counts,[ citation needed ] proposed a very simple solution: that Stour derives from dŵr, the Welsh word for water. [9] It is quite possible that the various Stours do not share a common origin and that they need to be considered in their own terms rather than as a single problem. Certainly there is currently no universally-accepted explanation.[ citation needed ] Description[ edit ] The Stour rises in Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire, near to Weston Colville , and reaches the sea at Harwich . [10] The eastern part of the River Stour is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known as Dedham Vale , named after the village of Dedham in Essex. It is an area of rural beauty on both sides of the River Stour.

The Dedham Vale AONB is approximately 11½ miles (18 km) east-west and 2.4 to 4.8 miles (4 km to 8 km) north-south. The earliest known settlement on the river in Suffolk was at Great Bradley , where man has had a recorded presence for over 5,000 years. The River Stour was one of the first improved rivers or canals in England. Parliament passed 'An Act for making the River Stower navigable from the town of Manningtree , in the county of Essex, to the town of Sudbury , in the county of Suffolk' in 1705, mandating public navigation rights and providing the basis of a joint stock company of London and Suffolk investors who raised £4,800 to cut and manage the river. Although partly supplanted by railways, lighters were still working on the Stour above Manningtree almost until World War II . As of 2016 they still operate as far as Mistley . The Stour valley has been portrayed as a working river by John Constable , Thomas Gainsborough and Paul Nash .

Constable's connection with the area was especially important, evident in such works as The Stour Valley and Dedham Church c. 1815. Today much of the Stour valley is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty. [2] It forms the spine of what is known as Constable country. The River Stour Trust , a waterway restoration group, was set up in 1968 to protect and enhance the right of the public to navigate the River Stour. The trust seeks to restore through navigation from Sudbury to the sea, following on the successful restoration of the locks at Dedham, Flatford and Great Cornard, by reinstating the 10 remaining locks. Meanwhile, the trust encourages use of the River Stour by small craft and organises annual events for all age groups and abilities on different parts of the river. River Stour Trust boat trips and private charters, skippered by volunteer boat crew, are available in Flatford and Sudbury between Easter and October. The Environment Agency is the navigation authority for the river. River Stour Boating Community Interest Company, based in Bures, organises two-day canoeing and camping expeditions from Sudbury to the estuary at Cattawade.

RSPB Stour Estuary is a nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Constable's Dedham Vale of 1802 Boats on the Stour with the church of Dedham in the background, John Constable , c. 1811 River Stour passing through Dedham Vale Railway bridge over River Stour near Manningtree Source of the River Stour on Wratting Common Mouth of the River Stour at Harwich River Stour | river, England, United Kingdom | Britannica.com river, England, United Kingdom Rubicon River Stour, river , eastern England , with a length of 47 miles (76 km). It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire and flows eastward through East Anglia , forming most of the county boundary between Suffolk and Essex , through country made famous by the paintings of the artist John Constable . The Stour enters the North Sea at Harwich by a tidal estuary. Several other and less important English rivers have the same name. River Stour, near Dedham, Essex, Eng. Keven Law Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this.

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Close Date Published: March 11, 2011 URL: Access Date: January 19, 2017 Share Rivers of East England - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki Rivers of East England Jump to: navigation , search The following is a list of waterways in the East of England (loosely, the counties of Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire , Essex , Hertfordshire , Huntingdonshire , Norfolk , and Suffolk ) and of their respective road crossings by bridge, tunnel, and/or ferry. Contents 10 Rivers Yare and Waveney River Alde (Ore) Flows entirely through Suffolk rising in Laxfield. It passes Aldeburgh and Snape. It is then seperated from the sea by a long shingle spit and changes it's name to the River Ore. After some miles it eventually reaches the sea at Shingle Street. Crossings of the River Alde Dennington Bridge • Frostley Bridge • Rooks Bridge • Rendham Bridge • Stratford St Andrew Bridge • Snape Bridge River Blackwater The Blackwater flows entirely through Essex , partly as the River Pant, through Braintree and Maldon to reach the sea at West Mersea.

Crossings of the River Blackwater • Long Bridge (Coggeshall) • Kelvedon Bridge • Kelvedon Bypass Bridge • Wickham Mill Bridge • Langford Bridge • Maldon Bypass Viaduct River Deben The Deben flows entirely through Suffolk , rising in Debenham and then passing Woodbridge to reach the sea at Felixstowe Ferry. Crossings of the River Deben Ashfield Place Bridge • Wickham Bridge • Wickham Market Bypass Bridge • Wilford Bridge River Great Ouse The fourth longest river in Great Britain, the Great Ouse rises in Northamptonshire and flows through Buckingham shire , Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire before entering the Wash near King's Lynn in Norfolk . See further: Rivers of South East England .

Crossings of the River Great Ouse Syresham Bypass • Brackley Bypass 2 • Brackley Bypass 1 • Bourton (Buckingham) Bridge • Stony Stratford Bypass • M1 Viaduct, Newport Pagnell • North West Bridge • Olney Bridge • Turvey Bridge • Paula Radcliffe Way Bridge 2 • Paula Radcliffe Way Bridge 1 • Bromham Bypass Bridge • County Bridge (Bedford) • Town Bridge (Bedford) • Longholme Bridge • Bedford Bypass Viaduct • Tempsford Bridge • St Neots Bypass Bridge • St Neots Bridge • Mill Lane Bridge • Huntingdon Bypass Bridge • Huntingdon Bridge • St Ives Bridge • St Ives Bypass Bridge • Earith Bridge • Twenty Pence Bridge • Chittering Bridge • Stretham Bridge • Ely High Bridge • Queen Adelaide Bridge • Littleport Bridge • Downham Bridge • Kings Lynn Bypass Bridge River Ingrebourne The Ingrebourne rises near Brentwood in Essex and flows through Greater London to reach the Thames at Rainham.

Crossings of the River Ingrebourne M25 Junc 28 • A127 Road Bridge • Upminster Road Bridge • Rainham New Road Bridge • Rainham Bridge • A13 Flyover River Lea Best known as an East London river, the Lea (or Lee) in fact rises in Bedfordshire and forms part of the boundary between Essex and Hertfordshire before emptying into the Thames in Greater London . The lower course of the river is strongly associated with the site of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Crossings of the River Lea (or Lee) Luton Bridges • Airport Way Bridge • Pickford Bridge • Wheathampstead Bridge • The Watersplash • Stanborough Bridges • Stanborough Lake Bridge • Chequers Bridge • The Green Man Bypass Bridge • Holwell Bridge • Gascoyne Way Bridge • Mill Bridge • Kingsmead Viaduct • Ware Bridge • Stanstead Abbots Bridge • Stanstead Abbots Bypass Viaduct • Nazeing Bridge • Waltham Town Bridge • M25 Bridge • Lea Valley Road Bridge • Lea Valley Viaduct • Tottenham Hale Bridge • Lea Bridge • Temple Mills Bridges • Bow Flyover and Swing Bridge • A13 Barking Road Bridge • Lower Lea Crossing River Nene The Nene rises in Northamptonshire and flows through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to enter the Wash on the edge of Lincolnshire . See further: Rivers of the East Midlands . River Orwell The Orwell (known as the Gipping at its source) is a river in Suffolk . It flows through Ipswich and joins the River Stour and the sea near Felixstowe .

Crossings of the River Orwell • Claydon Link Bridge • Bramford Bridge • Ipswich West Bypass Bridge • Handford Bridge • Princess Street Bridge • Stoke Bridge • Orwell Bridge River Stour The East Anglian River Stour river forms most of the boundary between the counties of Essex and Suffolk . It rises, however, in Cambridgeshire and eventually reaches the sea near Harwich . It is famous as a setting for many of John Constable's paintings. Crossings of the River Stour (Essex/Suffolk) Sipsey Bridge • Wash Bridge • Baythorn Bridge • Pentlow Bridge • Rod Bridge • Cross St. Bridge • Bures Bridge • Nayland Bridge • Stratford Bridge • Dedham Bridge • Cattawade Bridge Rivers Yare and Waveney The Yare and Waveney (and their tributaries) are rivers in the Norfolk Broads area, with the Waveney forming part of the border between Norfolk and Suffolk]]. They merge to form Oulton Broad and reach the sea at Great Yarmouth .

Crossings of the River Yare, Waveney and tributaries River Yare The River Stour Home About the Park History and Heritage Contact Us Leisure, Flora and Fauna Education The River Stour The river flowing through Clare Castle Country Park is the Stour, pronounced Stoor or Stowr. The pronunciation of the name varies even locally and is often the subject of debate. The Stour has been immortalised in its lower reaches by John Constable who used the river as a feature in many of his most celebrated paintings. The Stour having its source in Cambridgeshire flows east towards the North Sea and for most of its length it forms the county border between Suffolk and Essex. The river in Clare Castle Country Park is a mill stream called the 'new cut', built to operate a mill that was owned, by the Priory. The mill has long since ceased operating. The original course of the river flows to the south and east of the Priory and it is this course that continues to mark the county boundary. The 'new cut' is dammed at a gated weir and at this point is joined by the Chilton Stream which flows along the eastern boundary of the Park.

Along with the Park lakes the rivers form a tranquil home to a wide variety of wildlife (see Flora and Fauna) including the famous Clare swans who are a noted feature of the Park. Above the main doorway of the Swan Public House in Clare is possibly the oldest inn sign in England, thought to be originally the base of an oriel window taken from Clare Castle. The sign shows a chained swan that may have been associated with the nobility of the Castle or their royal relatives. (more information can be found on Wikipedia): River Stour | Flickr River Stour John In Pink MEMBER July 12, 2009 Any photos which feature the River Stour will be just fine. Any photos which feature the River Stour will be just fine. Cancel 7 years ago Group Description The River Stour (pronounced /ˈstʊər/) is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 76 km (47 m) long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south.

It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and joins the North Sea at Harwich. The name Stour derives from the Celtic sturr meaning "strong". The first settlement on the river in Suffolk was at Great Bradley, where man has had a recorded presence for over 5,000 years. The River Stour in Suffolk is pronounced /stʊə/ (rhyming with poor), whereas the River Stour in Kent is pronounced /staʊə/ (rhyming with sour). The River Stour was one of the first improved rivers or canals in England. Parliament passed 'An Act for making the River Stower navigable from the town of Manningtree, in the county of Essex, to the town of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk' in 1705, mandating public navigation rights and providing the basis of a joint stock company of London and Suffolk investors who raised £4,800 to cut and manage the river. Although partly supplanted by railways, lighters were still working on the Stour almost until World War II.

Constable's Dedham Vale of 1802The Stour valley has been portrayed as a working river by John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough and Paul Nash. Today much of the Stour valley is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty and forms the spine of Constable country. The River Stour Trust, a waterway restoration group, was set up in 1968 to protect and enhance the right of the public to navigate the River Stour. The Trust seeks to restore through navigation from Sudbury to the sea, following on the successful restoration of the locks at Dedham, Flatford and Great Cornard, by reinstating the 10 remaining locks. Meanwhile, the Trust encourages use of the River Stour by small craft and organises annual events for all age groups and abilities on different parts of the river. River Stour Trust boat trips and private charters, skippered by friendly volunteer boat crew, are available in Flatford and Sudbury between Easter and October. The Environment Agency is the navigation authority for the river. RSPB Stour Estuary is a nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.(RSPB) Group Rules Only 1 rule for now...

The River Stour needs to be visible in your photo (or at least the riverbank, mudflats, etc). Bridges over the river are okay. Additional Info Accepted content types: Photos, Videos, Images, Art, Screenshots Accepted safety levels: Safe Carp Info - Fishing Club Details eMail: The River Stour, stoor or stowr is a river in East Anglia. It is 47 miles 76km long[ & forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north & Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire passes to the east of Haverhill through Cavendish, Sudbury, Stratford St Mary & Dedham it flows through the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. it becomes tidal just after Manningtree in Essex & joins the North Sea at Harwich. The name Stour derives from the Celtic sturr meaning strong. The eastern part of the River Stour is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known as Dedham Vale named after the village of Dedham in Essex. It is an area of rural beauty on both sides of the River Stour.

The Dedham Vale AONB is approximately 11.5 miles 18km east west & 2.4 to 4.8 miles 4km up to 8km north south. The earliest known settlement on the river in Suffolk was at Great Bradley where man has had a recorded presence for over 5.000 years. The River Stour was 1 of the first improved rivers or canals in England. Parliament passed An Act for making the River Stower navigable from the town of Manningtree in the county of Essex to the town of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk in 1705 mandating public navigation rights & providing the basis of a joint stock company of London & Suffolk investors who raised 4.800 pounds to cut & manage the river. Although partly supplanted by railways lighters were still working on the Stour above Manningtree almost until World War II. As of 2011 they still operate as far as Mistley. Constables Dedham Vale of 1802 The Stour valley has been portrayed as a working river by John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough & Paul Nash.

Constables connection with the area was especially important evident in such works as The Stour Valley & Dedham Church 1815. Today much of the Stour valley is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty. It forms the spine of what is known as Constable country. The River Stour Trust a waterway restoration group, was set up in 1968 to protect & enhance the right of the public to navigate the River Stour. The Trust seeks to restore through navigation from Sudbury to the sea following on the successful restoration of the locks at Dedham, Flatford & Great Cornard by reinstating the 10 remaining locks. Meanwhile, the Trust encourages use of the River Stour by small craft & organises annual events for all age groups & abilities on different parts of the river. River Stour Trust boat trips & private charters skippered by friendly volunteer boat crew are available in Flatford & Sudbury between Easter & October. The Environment Agency is the navigation authority for the river. RSPB Stour Estuary is a nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds RSPB.

Day tickets, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Perch, Pike, Zander, Chub & Carp. DONT FORGET TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE YOU FOUND THEM The River Stour - days out at a Suffolk Waterway The River Stour This article is sponsored by Anglian Waterways The River Stour is a beautiful rural river that forms the majority of the county boundary between Suffolk and Essex. Continue reading to learn facts about the river and its history, and discover the great activities that can be enjoyed when visiting the Stour on a day out. The name ‘Stour’ derives from the Celtic word ‘sturr’ and translates to mean ‘strong’ – which is not surprising when you consider that the Stour is 47 miles (76km) long! It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire and passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish , Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and finally joins the North Sea at Harwich. The first settlement on the river in Suffolk was at Great Bradley, where there has been a recorded presence for over 5,000 years.

The Stour was one of the country's earliest statutory navigations and was in continuous use by commercial traffic for over 200 years. John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough have both depicted famously the Stour as a working river in their artwork. Constable's connection with the area is deep and immense - as his father was the local miller - and this is evident in such works as ‘The Stour Valley and Dedham Church’. For more information, please see our article on Gainsborough & Constable . In 1705 parliament passed an act of public navigation rights that established the Stour's lower reaches as a commercial waterway. This was between the town of Sudbury and Cattawade near Manningtree. Since the decline of commercial activity early in the last century, people today partake in leisure activities on the river, such as boating. Most of the lock structures have disappeared and most of the river has largely reverted to a more natural river.

There are many activities that all the family can take part in on the River Stour and in the Valley, including - - Boating - take you pick between power-boating, rowing, canoeing, sailing, or take an organised boat trip where each operator will stop at different spots along the Stour. Many of the trip boats also offer private hire for special occasions. Please see the Anglian Waterways link at the end of this article, plus River Stour Trust for more information. Fishing - if you crave peace and quiet alongside some excellent coarse fishing, the River Stour will not disappoint! The river is home to a broad range of species such as roach, chub, dace, bream, perch and pike, and all that you need to get started – such as a rod license and directions on the best fishing spots - are available from Anglian Waterways, link at the end of this article. Walking & Cycling - one of the best way to see all that the Stour Valley has to offer is by foot or – for the more energetic amongst you – bike!

You can take in the stunning views, hear the sounds of the river, observe nature in its natural habitat and see first-hand why so many artists took their inspiration from the area. The Stour Valley Path is a 60 mile route that follows the valley sides of the River Stour through the delightful countryside of Suffolk, and can be taken by foot or bike. Please see the Anglian Waterways link, below. There are plenty of attractions at the River Stour to keep you busy, such as Bridge Cottage at Flatford Mill which is the location for John Constable's famous idyllic pastoral paintings, and visitors are invited to attend exhibitions held in the cottage. Please see Flatford Mill, Suffolk . You can enjoy an ice-cream or picnic by the Stour, plus there are a number of countryside pubs, restaurants, and cafes nearby. There is also Clockhouse Farm Caravan Park, Sudbury - a quiet, peaceful site enclosed by meadows and trees with views overlooking the Stour Valley. You can even take a course! Flatford Mill - The Field Studies Council is on the River Stour and offer short courses for individuals and families from digital photography, trees and tree identification, watercolour landscape techniques, a weekend on mills and milling...

and many more! Have you been on a day out to the River Stour? Please tell us all about it at suffolkguides.admin@suffolktouristguide.com . Most Read Articles StourValleySuffolk2011-1 On the Brantham Hall bunkhouse patio Saturday morning, preparing to leave after breakfast. Two groups setting off from Brantham Hall - one was to follow the Stour and Orwell Walk towards Cattawade, whilst we headed east towards Stutton and Holbrook. View east towards Stutton Mill, taking at the start of the Stour and Orwell Walk where Hall Lane reaches the river wall near the estuary. View south across Seafield Bay towards Manningtree, at the point where water from the wetlands feeds into the Stour via Keebles Sluice. Group photo along the river wall on the Stour and Orwell Walk. [Photo courtesy John Adams (extreme right)] The extent river wall on the Stour and Orwell Walk can clearly be seen in this photo, just east of Keebles Sluice. Just before Stutton Mill, Newmill Creek wends its way into the estuary via Sutton Mill sluice.

View near Stutton Mill across the waters of the Stour towards Felixstowe. Directly above the beach near Stutton Park, looking across the Stour estuary. Along the beach near Stutton Park, view east (above) towards Stutton Ness and west (below), looking back towards The Rough, near Stutton Mill. Along the beach near Stutton Park approaching Stutton Ness. After rounding the corner of Stutton Ness, looking across Holbrook Bay from Graham's Wharf (at least, what remains of it). The Stour and Orwell Walk path cuts inland at Graham's Wharf on Holbrook Bay. View of Crowe Hall farm from the Stour and Orwell Walk path. The Royal Hospital School, an independent boarding school with naval traditions, near Stutton. Two walks had been planned the next day within the Stour Valley, one upstream and one down the estuary. I was in two minds until the last minute and then decided to join Maeve's party heading down the valley. The initial stage of each walk saw both groups heading from Brantham Hall down Hall Lane towards the estuary and once there, one turned left towards Cattawade and the other right, away from the town.

The path hugs the estuary, passing Stutton Mill and continuing all the way to Stutton Ness, until one reaches Graham's Wharf, whereupon it cuts inland towards the town of Stutton itself, a beautiful little spot. Across the waters of the estuary, the cranes of the port of Felixstow can be seen. Turning right at Manor Farm, it passes by Bay Tree Farm, picking up Hyam's Lane. We eventually reached the delightful little church of St Peter. I was the only one to enter and view the beautiful stained glass windows, engaging in conversation with a member of the congregation, whilst the rest continued on. A placard outside announced teas and food being served that day. The path leads out the back past Markwell's Farm and back towards the estuary. Within view on the hillside to the left is the Royal Hospital School, an independent boarding school with naval traditions. Established by a Royal Charter in 1694, it was originally located at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, London , moving to East Anglia in 1933. It admits children of 11 to 18 years of age through Common Entrance or the school's own exam.

Until relatively recently, entry to the school was limited to the children or grandchildren of seafarers. Until the 1950s, boys of the school were also required to join the Royal or Merchant Navies and as such the education was very much maritime focused. Although this requirement has not been in force for some decades, the school has retained certain naval traditions such as Naval uniform, divisions and an element of marching. The Welsh television presenter, "Griff" Rhys Jones, has a house just below the playing fields of the hospital. Walking through the pretty little town of Stutton on the Stour and Orwell Walk. St Peters Church, Stutton. [Photo courtesy John Adams] St Peters Church, Stutton. The Stour and Orwell Walk path near Markwell's Farm, Stutton, with the Royal Hospital School in the background. View across Holbrook Bay at Holbrook Creek. The River Stour is a river in East Anglia, England, 76 km in length, which forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south.

It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and joins the North Sea at Harwich. The name Stour derives from the Celtic sturr meaning "strong". The River Stour was one of the first improved rivers or canals in England. Parliament passed 'An Act for making the River Stower navigable from the town of Manningtree, in the county of Essex, to the town of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk' in 1705, mandating public navigation rights and providing the basis of a joint stock company of London and Suffolk investors who raised ï¿½4,800 to cut and manage the river. The Stour valley has been portrayed as a working river by John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough and Paul Nash. Constable's connection with the area was especially important, evident in such works as The Stour Valley and Dedham Church c. 1815. Today much of the Stour valley is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty. It forms the spine of what is known as Constable country.

The River Stour Trust, a waterway restoration group, was set up in 1968 to protect and enhance the right of the public to navigate the River Stour. The Trust seeks to restore through navigation from Sudbury to the sea, following on the successful restoration of the locks at Dedham, Flatford and Great Cornard, by reinstating the 10 remaining locks. The Environmental Agency is the navigation authority for the river. RSBP Stour Estuary is a nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Leaving the Stour and Orwell Walk, along a path through Wall Farm, just south of the town of Holbrook. Crossing Lemons Hill Bridge across Alton Water Reservoir, towards the town of Tattingstone. A house in Tattingstone with rather interesting architecture - possibly a church once? Crossing the railway line very close to Brantham Hall.

Question: Which river forms most of the county boundary between Essex and Suffolk and flows in to the North Sea at Harwich?
Answer: Stour